With a heavy heart we share the loss of our great friend and saxophonist, Sherman Curry, on Saturday, February 6th.

 

Few of us find enough time in the day to do the things we set out to do, but Sherman found time to cultivate lasting friendships, heal the sick, and play in literally dozens of bands across the region at a pace that defies the laws of time and physics.  It would be impossible to imagine a more energetic and enthusiastic musician as he travelled across the state and beyond to make new connections and encourage fellow musicians to keep their arts and joy alive.

 

Thank you, Sherman, for the light and happiness you brought with you everywhere you went.  Your humor, your passion, and your love of your friends made you an irreplaceable part of our lives.

Welcome

The Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra was established to foster the preservation, education, and celebration of music known as big band. The band performs favorites such as Count Basie and Duke Ellington as well as well-known standards sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Natalie Cole.

Founded in 1998 with noted local jazz composer, Dave Rivello, the 19-piece orchestra continues to perform jazz in the tradition of the Count Basie Orchestra.

The members of the Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra have been together for many years; in some cases, going back to 1998.  The orchestra has its roots well established in the Count Basie tradition.  Of course, as with any group, musicians come and go, bringing their own personalities that influence the group as a whole.

The band’s sound is the culmination of years of hard work and practice by each member.  Surprisingly, the group is comprised largely of individuals who do not make a living with music.  While there are a couple ringers, the group is largely made up of professionals such as engineers, doctors, and businessmen who have a passion for music and performing with their peers. 

Had it not been for their first chosen career, perhaps some, if not all, would have pursued careers in music.

It is our hope that our music will inspire others to keep the big band sound alive in this ever changing and fast paced world.  Perhaps even take a moment to recall an era of music that has influenced the world of music that we know today.

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See What Our Fans Have To Say!

We had the wonderful, special opportunity to attend the annual senior dance last evening at the Corning Glass Center. The big band music takes you back to the post war time when music was meaningful and there was excellent talent. We are so lucky to have that experience thanks to the Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra. I hope that music never dies. The male singer is fantastic and can still belt out the songs. The female singer was outstanding doing the songs she did. Her voice had a big range and she nailed all her songs - she even could do a great job on the "lounge singer" type song. A big THANK YOU to all the members of the orchestra for giving their time to come to Corning to give us such an enjoyable evening.  -- Sally, 2018

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